Cardinals shake off slump, complete close sweep of Pirates
The struggling St. Louis Cardinals needed this one, and Matt Carpenter made sure a tight win didn't get away.
With the bases loaded and the Pittsburgh Pirates threatening in the eighth inning Wednesday, Carpenter flashed the leather and robbed Gregory Polanco of extra bases with a sweet diving grab, then slid feet-first into the bag to strand the sacks full and end any hope of a Pittsburgh comeback. The Cardinals went on to complete a tight sweep of their NL Central rivals by a 2-1 score.
Bases unloaded. pic.twitter.com/sFYX7N6IxC
— MLB (@MLB) April 19, 2017
Everything went right for St. Louis, which shook off a miserable 3-9 start to come back and sweep the Pirates at home. Dexter Fowler provided all the offense with his first two homers in a Cardinal uniform, while Trevor Rosenthal - whom St. Louis considered moving to the rotation in spring - stepped up for his first save of 2017.
The Pirates are still reeling from Starling Marte's 80-game PED suspension, and the sweep dropped them into a tie for last place with St. Louis. All three games in the series finished with the Cardinals on top by a 2-1 score - the first time in Pirate history that they've been swept in a three-game series despite allowing six runs or less, according to broadcaster Joe Block.
Pittsburgh's either swept or been swept in every series the team's played so far this season.